SBS picks up Australian rights to Copa Libertadores climax

SBS, the Australian public-service broadcaster with close ties to soccer, has landed live rights to the Copa Libertadores, South America’s top clubs competition, for the remainder of the 2018 season.

The network is to offer 10 exclusive matches free-to-air from this year’s tournament, starting with the second leg of the quarter-final tie between Colo-Colo of Chile and Brazil’s Palmeiras on 3 October, on television and The World Game website and app.

The coverage will run through to the two-legged Libertadores final in November.

SBS has also acquired rights to the two legs of the final of the second-tier Copa Sudamericana in December.

Distribution rights to the Libertadores and Sudamericana competitions in the Asia-Pacific region were held by MP & Silva from 2015 to 2018 after it struck a deal with the Traffic Sports agency.

However, the rights agreement has been terminated given MP & Silva’s financial woes and broadcasters have been advised to contract instead with FSA Media, the Australia-based rights consultancy.

SBS was the free-to-air home in Australia for this year’s Fifa World Cup in Russia and shows one match per week from England’s Premier League, in a sub-licensing deal with telecoms company Optus.